Crop blower



' March 22, 1949.

w. FREIDEN CROP BLOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Filed Nov. 15, 1944 INVENTCIJR M44117; P725105 MAXLA MM ATTORNEYS.

w. FREIDEN CROP BLOWER March 22, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Noy. 15, 1944 'INVENTOFQ W144 IHM FkE/DEN 42%,MMM

ATTORNEY5- Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED S ATES PATENT" OFFICE CROP BLOWER William: Freiden, Appleton Wis., assign'or to EagleeManufacturingGompany; Appleton, .Wis.,. a .corporationof Wisconsin Application November 13, 1944; 'SerialNo. 563,288

14 Glaims: 1;.

This invention relates to :improvements in crop blowers.

In the pneumatic delivery of cut forage crops; considerable difficulty is: experienced, particularly when the forageis green', due-tothe tendency of the material tozball llp and pass errati'e cally to the blower so' that the blower at one instant may bev overloaded and at" another in stant may be running: light. The object: o'f'the present invention is to: pass such: m'aterial substantially uniformly to:the blower-and, thereby; to, improve the speed of deliveryrand decrease the power requirements:an'd'increase the capacity of devices; of: this. character;

More specificallystatedg. it ismy purpose. to Ievelize short lengths; of flexible: material in a; mat enroute to the blowenand; thereafter, to provide for the substantiallycontinuous and uniform delivery to the blower ofiadvancingi'portions of the mat, to 'the: end'thatithezblower. may he constantly and uniformly'fe'd.

Other objects of the invention: will be-apparent to-those skilled in the art uponanalysisof the following disclosure thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. i is a plan view of the. apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig, 2 is a side elevationiofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is' a longitudinal. section. through; the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in: transverse section through the apparatus shown .in Fig; .1..

Fig. 5 .is a front elevationalfviewin detail oir an enlarged scale of: the distributor.

Fig; 6 is aview partly insideselevationsand partially broken. away'toa longitudinal section through the distributor showntin Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a fragmentary'detaillviewofa: hub portion of the leveling" devices. as it appearsriir front elevation; portionsbein'gibroken; away 'to expose the blade:.mounting;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational'. View of shown in Fig. 7, portions being broken. away to a longitudinal section; disclosing; the: blade mounting;

Like parts are designated; with the same refer! ence characters throughout the several-views:

While it is immaterialrhow my. apparatus-;.is: supported, I have: shown it mounted on: auslridframe 9; In azbroadxsense, it'is alsoimmaterial. how the material: is delivered to the: apparatus or: whether it. is cutiinthe-apparatus on'is's de:-. lirered: subsequently. For: the: purposes oiithis disclosure; 1. have. shownzalhopper'at l0=,ihavin|;=

2 a high and substantially vertical rear wall at I l and a lowerinclined wall at I2 over which the material will be'fed onto the slat-type conveyor I 3; which operates over sprockets M ami I Elongitudinally of the hopperbottom.

The blower casihgiil stands at one side ofthe path of the conveyor and immediately tbeyond its end.

The discharge conduit 2| leading from the blower: casing ispreferably directed. upwardly. The blower. shaft: 22 extends: transversely of the frame into the casing where: it: supportsta runner. 23in the usual manner.

The blower casing. has antinlet: opening 24 which, as is' best sh'oWntin. Fig. 3,; is mostly below andto. the left: of' theshaft' 22 .although it ex-, tends somewhatlto the right of2 the; shaft and somewhat aboyeiit also; As viewedin Fig. 3, the blades ofIthe'bloiverfan or. runner 23'must obviously rotatecounterclockwi'se directly past the inlet opening. 2 so: that material delivered through such opening: in the, path of the blades is immediately deliveredxup' the delivery spout 21.

A hood 25-closessthe space. above the blower shaft 22 and is offset at 26 to oonnect'with a bootxZ'l which follows the outlineof the blower inlet 24' to the bottom oftthe inlet opening and thence extendsrearwardly at 28to a point beneath the' delivery endof the conveyor l3.

Vertically adjustable above the conveyor 13 is'a; leveling. device' which comprises a shaft 29 and a number-of: setsof blades 30' mounted in their. respective hubs-fihpreferably being, cast in the hubs to projectradially therefrom, as best shown in Figs? and 8; Therdirection of rotation of. the: shaft 29; is. clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3.; and the ends of the blades :arebent slightly backwardlywith reference. to the. clockwise rotation of the blades and are also twisted; as best ape pears in Figs 1 and4, to act edgewise inthrowingi'rearwardly; as indicated at 32; the material advancing" with. conveyor 13;. but piled. to an undue depth thereon. Thus the several blades, in the. course oftheir rotation, function-to produce an: approximately: levelmat orblanket of cut material on the conveyor. 13" asythe upper flight ofi the: (:OIIVGYOI'TIIIOVEs-i to'the right in'Figs. l, 2 andz3.

The shaft 29 with which thelevelingbladestll rotate, is driven'zby 'chain. 34' from theshaft 35 on: which: the forward i sprockets I5 of the? cone veyor l3 are located. An arcuate guidewayis' provided iatt'tli forrthe bearings-.31: of theclevel-ing shaft 29, such .guidewaybeing v concentric to the shaft 35 and provided -withrspaced boltholesfor fastening the bearings 31 in selected positions at Various distances above the conveyor. Thus the level to Which the material on the conveyor will be reduced can be controlled in accordance with any desired rate of feeding, without requiring any means for varying the length of the chain 34 The mat or layer of material on the conveyor discharges from the delivery end thereof onto the boot 21, 28, as will clearly appear from Fig. 3. As it does so, it falls into the path of the feeding device shown. at 49 in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, and ilat 44 and have their operating arms extending directly forwardly toward the conveyor at 45. A viewed from the direction in which the material approaches this distributing or feeding device (see Fig. the hub 42 comprises a rather large disk from which only the portions 44 and the arms 45 project. The arms 45 describe an approximately cylindrical path in the preferred embodiment disclosed.

The feeding device 40 is located directly laterally opposite the intake opening 24 of the blower. As fast as the blanket or layer of material is delivered by the conveyor l3, the feeding device disintegrates the blanket or layer and feeds it in uniform volume to the blower. As long as the conveyor continues to deliver a layer of material in substantially uniform depth, the feeder 40 will maintain the rate of delivery of the material to the blower substantially constant, precluding any balling or erratic feeding.

The blower shaft 22 preferably comprises the main driving shaft, being provided with a pulley 41 for receiving power from any outside source. The belt or chain 48 transmits motion from the shaft 22 to the shaft 49 which, through the bevel gearing at 50, drives the feeder or distributor shaft 4|.

Another chain or belt at 52 transmits motion from the main drive shaft 22 to a combination gear 53 and pinion 54 mounted on an eccentric 55 controlled by hand lever 56 by which the pinion 54 may be moved to and from engagement with the gear 51 on the conveyor driving shaft 35. The arrangement allows the conveyor and leveling device to be started and stopped at will, while the blower and its distributing feeder 40 continue in operation. The distributing feeder is preferably permanently coupled with the blower shaft to avoid any possibility of clogging the blower or the boot over which the material is delivered to the blower.

I claim:

1. The combination with a feeding conveyor, and a blower having a casing provided with an inlet immediately beyond the delivery end of the conveyor and at one side thereof, of a rotary distributing device in the angle between the conveyor and the blower inlet and comprising a distributing head and a shaft disposed substantially in a direction longitudinal respecting the conveyor and upon which said head is mounted to receive material axially from the conveyor and to deliver such material laterally to the blower inlet.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the shaft is substantially centered forwardly of the conveyor and the head comprises arms extending in,

iii

a general direction axially of the shaft toward the conveyor at points radially spaced outwardly from the shaft.

3. A feeding device comprising the combination with a feeding conveyor and means for leveling material to a mat of predetermined thickness thereon, of means for distributing the material of the mat substantially uniformly in a direction laterally of the conveyor, said last named means comprising a rotary head disposed forwardly of the delivery end of the conveyor and comprising radially offset arms projecting toward the conveyor.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, in combination with a blower comprising a fan casing havingan inlet disposed laterally adjacent and slightly beyond the delivery end of the conveyor and in a position to receive material distributed by said arms together with a hood and boot extending from the fan casing about the inlet opening thereof and about said device and arranged to receive and support and confine material delivered from said conveyor during operation of said arms on said material.

5. A device of the character described, com prising the combination with a hopper, of a conveyor operable along the bottom of the hopper, means adjustable as to height for leveling material on the conveyor, a fan shaft transversely spanning the hopper forwardly of the conveyor, a fan on the shaft at one side of the conveyor, a casing enclosing the fan and having an inlet disposed forwardly of the delivery end of the conveyor, a distributor shaft extending toward the conveyor from a point longitudinally in advance thereof, and a distributor head mounted on the shaft opposite the fan casing inlet and rotatable with the shaft in a direction to distribute toward the inlet a layer of material delivered from the conveyor toward said head.

6. The device of claim 5, in which the distributor head comprises a hub and arms mounted in the hub at predetermined radial spacing outwardly from said shaft and projecting forwardly from the hub toward the conveyor.

7. The device of claim 5, in which a boot spans the hopper forwardly of the conveyor to provide a bottom therefor, said boot being connected with the fan casing about the inlet thereof to assist in guiding into the fan casing the material acted upon by the distributor head.

8. The device of claim 5, in which the fan and distributor head have common drivin connections, and the leveling device has driving connections provided with means for interrupting the transmission of motion to the leveling device without interrupting the transmission of motion to the fan and said head.

9. The structure set forth in claim 5, in which the leveling device comprises a shaft having outwardly extending arms, and bearing means provided with a guideway upon which said shaft may be bodily adjusted as to its height above said conveyor.

10. The combination with an endless belt conveyor, a feedway boot extending laterally from the delivery end of the conveyor, a rotary fan blower having its casing provided with a suction inlet eccentric to the axis of rotation and with which the delivery end of the boot connects, a rake mounted above the conveyor and provided with movable rake teeth and driving connections for the operation of said teeth in a direction opposite to the direction of conveyor movement therebeneath for distributing material on the con,

veyor in a direction opposite that in which the carrying portion of the conveyor travels, and an agitating conveyor in the boot comprising means for lifting and distributing material in the boot in the direction of said blower inlet.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10, in which the rake for distributing material on the conveyor comprises a rotary distributing shaft transversely mounted above the conveyor and provided with an annular series of radially extending arms having their free ends in sufficient proximity to the conveyor to lift and distribute material thereon in a rearward direction when the shaft is rotated in a direction to carry said arms rearwardly through the material on the conveyor.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 10, in which the rake for distributing material rearwardly on the conveyor comprises a transverse shaft having bearings adjustable for shaft operation at varying distances from the carrying portion of the conveyor and provided with raking teeth, said shaft having driving connections for its actuation in a direction to cause said teeth to move downwardly and rearwardly through the material underneath the shaft when the latter is rotated.

13. The combination with an endless belt conveyor, a feedway boot extending laterally from the delivery end of the conveyor and a blower having a suction inlet with which the delivery end of the boot connects, of a transverse rotary distributing shaft above the conveyor and provided with an annular series of radially extending arms, and power driven means for rotating the shaft, said shaft being adjustable at varying dis- 6 tances from the conveyor to regulate the depth at which its distributing arms may enter material carried by the conveyor.

14. The combination with an endless belt conveyor having means for distributin material thereon to a substantially uniform depth, of a boot providing a surface at the delivery end of the conveyor for receiving and supporting the delivered material, and a rotary distributing head spaced from the delivery end of the conveyor and provided with an annular series of arms having free ends extending in the direction of the conveyor and in sufficient proximity to said supporting surface to lift and throw the material in a lateral direction when said head is rotated.

WILLIAM FREIDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,156 Vraalstad Oct. 11, 1910 540,102 Kirshman May 28, 1895 576,149 Raasch et al Feb. 2, 1897 614,979 Price Nov. 29, 1898 660,159 Hixon et a1 Oct. 23, 1900 733,289 Silver July '7, 1903 1,020,307 Parker Mar. 12, 1912 1,349,948 Echterling Aug. 17, 1920 1,936,173 Orth Nov. 21, 1933 2,280,394 Grindle Apr. 21, 1942 2,324,042 Swenson July 13, 1943 2,410,501 Huddle Nov. 5, 1946 

